THE featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cork Stakes resulted in victory for 25/1 outsider Easy who won impressively for jockey Andrew Slattery and his father Andy.
A winner at this venue on her sole juvenile start, after which she had one unplaced run at three for Paddy Twomey, the daughter of Kodiac tracked the leaders before hitting the front over a furlong out to beat Yosemite Valley by a length and a quarter.
“If I have a Group 1 horse, this is it,” winning trainer Slattery said of his winner, who is owned by Team Valor International LLC and Gary Barber. “I knew she’d improve from today but we can’t get her off the bridle and she was only half-speeding. I’d say she will improve a lot and hopefully we are heading for Royal Ascot.
“I never had a horse like her to pull away from horses so easily and that’s how she initially got her name - everything was easy for her.
“I’m going to keep her to five or six furlongs as she has so much pace and talent. Both Group 1 sprint races at Royal Ascot would be the plan along with the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh.
“She is back from injury so hopefully we can keep her sound. I got her back last July but we had a bit of patching up to do with her. She had knee problems so had to go for an operation. She is in training a long time before today but had no hard gallops done with her. She will go on any ground and she is exciting.”
Double
The Slatterys had earlier landed the seven-furlong handicap for older horses with 17/2 chance Independent Expert who came from off the pace to thwart Scholarship by half a length.
“She has a new owner and Mick (Walsh) is the farrier here at the racecourse,” Slatter snr said. “She goes on any ground and will get a mile and two furlongs on better ground. We had her in the Lincoln but she was out of the handicap so we said we’d come here instead.”
LAST year’s impressive Goffs Million winner One Look, sent off at odds of 1/20, made light work of four rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Race, pushed out by Billy Lee to defeat Action Plan by three lengths.
Paddy Twomey reported: “She did exactly what we were hoping she would do. We got her out, got her some exercise and education and it has gone to plan so I’m very happy.
“That was her first piece of work for the year so we’ll sit down and make a plan. We have a couple of more fillies to run so we will see where we go but she is in the Irish, English, French and German Guineas.
“If she runs in Newmarket she would go straight there but if she runs in Ireland she might run again.”
The successful Connolly Racing Syndicate includes retired Irish trainer Kevin Connolly, now based in Asia.
The seven-furlong fillies’ maiden saw 20/1 chance Wide With Delight, ridden by Shane Kelly for Johnny Murtagh, make a winning debut in the colours of her breeder Pat O’Kelly.
The daughter of Ten Sovereigns came from off the pace to account for market leader National Lady by one and three quarter lengths. “She is a lovely filly with a really good attitude,” said Kelly. “Her work has been good at home but we thought she might need the run. I’d say she isn’t too bad.”
Third at the Curragh on debut, Monotone (11/4) made the most of that experience to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 2-y-o Maiden for Jim Bolger and Rory Cleary, getting the better of Amazonian Warrior by half a length. Ger Flynn, travelling head lad, said: “He is tough and genuine.”
Trainer Kieran Cotter got off the mark for the season when Uncle Albert (2/1) readily landed the seven-furlong three-year-old handicap under former champion jockey Declan McDonogh, beating Nika Pika by three and three quarter lengths.
Cotter said of the Dragon Pulse gelding who is owned by the Knobel McGrath Partnership: “He worked very well during the week, is tough, genuine, loves the ground and had good form last year.”
TEENAGER Danny Power rode his first winner on just his second ride when landing the five-furlong handicap on Stag Night (5/1).
The Tagula gelding, trained by Willie McCreery for his wife Amanda, was close up throughout and wore down Two Stars in the final strides to score by a neck.
Power said: “I’m full-time with Willie who works me hard but gives me loads of opportunities. I’m 16, from Waterford, and my father Ollie keeps a few horses and has a few for point-to-points.”
The five-furlong maiden for three-year-olds and upwards was won in good style by 9/4 favourite Shandy who had two and a quarter lengths to spare over Betsen.
Trained by Fozzy Stack for Mrs M V Magnier, Mrs Paul Shanahan and T V Magnier, the winner was partnered by Seamie Heffernan.
Stack remarked: “I thought she might have been an Ascot two-year-old this time last year but she had a bit of an issue so spent a long time out in the field.
“It was a rush to get her ready to run so she had no foundation going to the Curragh last October. Colin Keane liked her and said she was weak but it was just that everything was a rush getting her to run.”
“This is Seamie’s first winner for me, he comes in a couple of times a week and has ridden three winners for my father.”